December 3 - 9, 2020
FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Bridge food program feeds families, page 2
Unemployment claims increase, page 3
Boys and Girls club receives donation, page 15
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Covid-19 Holiday Harbor Lights are in downtown Blaine exposure tool tracks virus By Ian Haupt
s Blaine’s Holiday Harbor Lights added extra cheer to the G Street Plaza on November 24.
Photo by Louise Mugar
State grants providing more aid for small businesses By Grace McCarthy Small businesses experiencing economic hardship due to the Covid-19 pandemic can now apply for additional aid, thanks to a Washington State Department of Commerce grant that opened the week of November 30. Applications will be given priority if submitted before Thursday, December 10. The Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grants 3.0 serve as the third round of funding distributed to state businesses, according to a December 1 press release from the Port of Bellingham. The Port of Bellingham dis-
tributed the first two working Washington grants but this latest round will be distributed by the Washington State Department of Commerce and the National Development Council, the release states. Up to $20,000 in grants will be administered to businesses that made no more than $5 million per year in 2019. The third round of small business support grants will total $50 million in assistance statewide. “Grants will be prioritized for small businesses that are in sectors that have been most impacted by recent pub(See Grants, page 6)
INSIDE
Governor Jay Inslee announced the launch of a tool that will help the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) track the spread of the coronavirus by notifying users if they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. In a November 30 press conference, Inslee said 200,000 Washington residents had already signed-up for WA Notify. WA Notify is an anonymous exposure notification tool that will alert users if they spent time near another WA Notify user who later tests positive for Covid-19, according to a November 30 press release. This tool was developed by the Governor’s Office in partnership with DOH, Google and Apple with leadership from the University of Washington. “Secure, private and anonymous exposure notification technology is an important tool for Washington,â€? Inslee said in a press conference on Monday. “We’ve deployed WA Notify in 29 languages so as many Washington residents as possible can protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities. I encourage everyone to start using WA Notify today so we can continue to work together to contain this virus.â€? Washington State Secretary of Health John Wiesman said that the tool can work in addition to wearing masks and social distancing. The tool is free and can be enabled in iPhone settings or, for Android phones, downloaded as an app from the Google Play Store. To enable on an iPhone: • Go to Settings • Scroll down to “Exposure Notificationsâ€? • Click “Turn On Exposure Notificationsâ€? • Select “United Statesâ€? • Select “Washingtonâ€? When a user is notified that they may have been exposed to Covid-19, they will be provided with links with information about what to do next to protect themself and others, the governor said. The identity of the person who tested positive or where the exposure may have occurred will not be provided.
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
TheNorthernLight.com
ThisFLYERS Week’s
Rite Aid Whistle Workwear
We are just $2,000 short of lighting up the entire city with festive holiday lights.
Blaine Mart • Jen Freeman & Leah Crews @ Windermere Real Estate • Drayton Harbor Oyster Company • New World Properties • Peter Robins Estate
The Northern Light • Spoken Designs • William Hunt • Mike & Rose Kent • The Vault Wine Bar + Bistro • Semiahmoo Men’s Club • Patricia Skannes • C. A. Fairman Semiahmoo’s Women’s Club • Jay Tyrrell • Lindsay Anderson • Tony Tseung • Semiahmoo Condo Association • Je Ferry • Byron Wilson • Diana Meyers • Marjorie Gross
We’re Almost there!